Brewers vs Royals Preview: KC Tops Milwaukee At Home
Interleague Matchup Pits Potential Playoff Teams
A pair of teams trying to end losing streaks will square off for a three-game interleague series this week as the Kansas City Royals host the Milwaukee Brewers beginning on Monday. Both teams dropped the final two MLB games of their respective weekend series and are hoping for better luck in this matchup.
Despite losing its last two games, Milwaukee is atop the standings for the MLB NL Central, though by just percentage points over the second-place Chicago Cubs. The Brewers lost two of three to the Cubs over the weekend.
Kansas City dropped its last two games of a series against the Texas Rangers, including a 10-inning setback on Sunday. The Royals come into this series in third place in the AL Central, percentage points behind the second-place Minnesota Twins and 2.5 games behind the first-place Cleveland Guardians.
The MLB odds for the series opener on Monday are giving the edge to the host Royals. Kansas City is -140 on the moneyline odds, while Milwaukee is listed at +120.
On the run line, you can get the Brewers at -180 when getting 1.5 runs, while the Royals are +150 when giving 1.5 runs. The over/under has been set at 8.5 runs, with the over getting -112 odds and the over -108.
The series’ first two games are scheduled for 7:40 p.m. ET, with the final game set for a 2:10 p.m. ET first pitch on Wednesday.
Brewers vs Royals 
Records: Milwaukee Brewers (20-13) vs. Kansas City Royals (20-15)
Location: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
Day/Time:
Streaming: MLB.TV
Brewers vs Royals Preview: Pitching Matchups
Game 1: Bryse Wilson (Milwaukee) vs Cole Ragans (Kansas City)
Right-hander Bryse Wilson will make his 10th appearance and fourth start of the season in the series opener on Monday. He’s 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA, having made starts in three of his last four outings. Wilson is coming off a hard-luck loss in his last start, going six innings against the Tampa Bay Rays last Monday and allowing just one run on four hits while striking out six in a 1-0 Milwaukee setback.
The Royals will counter with lefty Cole Ragans, who brings a 2-2 record and 3.44 ERA to the mound for his eighth start of the season. Ragans has been listed as day-to-day after leaving his last start against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday with a calf cramp. In that game, Ragans went 6.2 innings and allowed one run on four hits while striking out nine, his third time in four starts in which he’s allowed one or fewer runs.
Game 2: Colin Rea (Milwaukee) vs Seth Lugo (Kansas City)
The Brewers will go with righty Colin Rea in the second game of the series. Rea is 3-0 with a 2.67 ERA, though he’s been a little hot and cold lately. The 33-year-old was brilliant in his last start against Tampa Bay on Wednesday, throwing six shutout innings while allowing just four hits. But that came a start after he faced the New York Yankees and allowed five runs over six innings, with three of the four hits he allowed being home runs.
This game could be one of the lowest of the MLB scores today, with Kansas City sending righty Seth Lugo to the mound. Lugo ranks third in baseball with a 1.60 ERA, compiling a 3-1 record in his seven starts this season. He went seven innings against Toronto on Wednesday, giving up one run on just two hits while striking out eight and walking two.
Game 3: Joe Ross (Milwaukee) vs Brady Singer (Kansas City)
Milwaukee will have righty Joe Ross getting the start for the last game of this series. Ross is 1-3 with a 4.65 ERA in six starts in 2024. He has been up and down with his last five starts alternating between outings of allowing six runs and outings of giving up two or fewer runs. Unfortunately, based on his recent history, after going six innings against the Cubs on Friday and giving up one run on six hits, he’s due for another bad outing in this one.
Right-hander Brady Singer will get the call for the Royals in the series finale. The 27-year-old is 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA, having struck out 42 in 40.1 innings over seven starts. He’s allowed just one run and four hits in each of his last two starts. This includes a six-inning stint against Texas on Friday in which he struck out eight.
Offensive Support, Catchers Key In Series
Both MLB teams have solid starting rotations, but those pitchers need some support from their teammates at the plate. The Brewers are coming off a three-game series in which they scored a total of eight runs, losing two of those games. Kansas City had a little more pop over the weekend, scoring seven runs in a win, but then it managed just six over the next two games.
Catcher William Contreras has been the most consistent batter for the Brewers this season, ranking 10th in MLB in batting average at .336. He’s also tied for fifth in baseball with 27 RBI, adding nine doubles, five home runs and 29 runs scored. He enters this series on a seven-game hitting streak.
Royals catcher Salvador Perez is among the leaders in many MLB stats despite an 0-for-8 streak that has seen him strike out five times over the last two games. Perez is still 11th in baseball heading into this series with a .328 batting average and ranks third in the majors with 30 RBI. He also has five doubles, eight home runs, and 15 runs scored.
Royals Win Tight Series
Kansas City has been great when playing at home this season. It has compiled a 13-7 record at Kauffman Stadium, but Milwaukee is also good on the road, going 13-6. Still, in going over our Brewers vs Royals preview, we like the home team to come out on top in this series.
Both teams have a lot to play for, so this should be an intense matchup. But when you’re doing your MLB betting on this series, go with the Royals to come away with the majority of the victories.
Brewers vs Royals Preview Odds
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